Randwick Petersham Cricket Club 2024-25 Limited Overs Premiers
Randwick Petersham Cricket Club | March 03, 2025
They did it! On Sunday 23 February 2025 the Randwick Petersham Mellick Wealth Management First XI won the Limited Overs Cup competition for the third time, defeating the unbeaten Parramatta XI at Old Kings, Parramatta Park. Final scores were Randwick Petersham 7-270––Parramatta 226. The scores, however, in no way reflect the closeness of the contest. With 10 overs to go, the match could have gone either way.
Skipper Riley Ayre called correctly at the toss and Randwick Petersham batted first. With the ball moving around, runs were at a premium in the first few overs and when Austin Waugh finally got a touch, the total was 1-15 off 5 overs. Eknoor Singh joined Blake Weymouth who was looking confident and stroking the ball well. But with the score on 60, he played over a well-pitched ball and was gone for 39 off 57 balls. Anthony Sams and Singh then took the score to 132 when Anthony was given out lbw for 30 off 37. Singh had brought up his half-century off 74 balls after hitting the first 6 of the innings. Singh and George Bell then put on 76 and in the 42nd over, Singh brought up his century off 121 balls. Bell went for 27 off 33 at 208 and when Singh was bowled for 125 off 134 with 8 fours and 3 sixes (after taking 19 off the 45th over), the tally was 5-233 off 46. Some pinch-hitting over the last 4 overs brought rewards with a healthy 7-270 posted off the allotted 50 overs.
In the run-chase, the Eels suffered an early blow when the hard-hitting Ben Abbott couldn’t beat a rocket-like pitch at the stumps from Ben Montedoro when responding to a quick-single call. He hadn’t faced a ball. It was soon 2-19 off 6 overs when 12th man Max Robinson completed a handy snare at midwicket. That brought the two “top guns”, Ryan Hadley and Nick Bertus together. But with the score 74 off 22 overs, Jason Ralston, in his first game back from injury, got an edge from Bertus and Sams did the rest. Calvert was the new bat and after surviving a confident caught behind appeal first ball, got stuck into the bowlers. From the 4 overs between 33 to 36, he and Hackney smashed 46 for a scoreline of 3-153. But 15 runs later, Hackney was caught in the deep by Daya Singh off Ralston for 50.
Mellick Wealth Management is a proud sponsor of Randwick Petersham Cricket Club
Calvert marched on, being particularly severe on spinner Riley Ayre. The runs flowed and after 41 overs it was 4-199—72 to get off 54 balls (9 overs)–with 6 wickets in the shed. Daya Singh struck with an lbw at 201, but into the 43rd over, Calvert was on 97 off just 83 balls. Taking responsibility like a captain should, with 60 needed off 48, Riley returned to the attack. This was make or break. Calvert sensed the opportunity and seemed to want to put the ball somewhere into Parramatta Stadium to bring up his hundred. But a high-flyer was intercepted by Daya Singh in the deep and he was out. Angus McTaggart chipped in with wickets off successive balls in the 44th over for an 8-215 scoreline. Daya Singh then knocked over the no. 9 and when Riley Ayre bowled the no. 11 to give himself 50 wickets for the season, it was all over. Premiers once again! What a finish! Parramatta had lost their last 6 wickets for 25. Pressure is a real tester.
Randwick Petersham has now won this competition three times—in 2011-12 defeating Fairfield-Liverpool; in 2020-21 defeating Sydney and now 2024-25 defeating Parramatta. It is also the sixth successive season Randwick Petersham has won a NSW Premier Cricket competition. An amazing record. Congratulations to all players, coaches and officials!!
Match report by Lyall Gardner
